Unable To Choose Sperm Donors In Malta, Lesbian Parent Hopefuls Are Left Distraught
Despite Malta’s new, free fertility treatments for couples and single people wishing to have children, one lesbian couple still chose to spend over €10,000 seeking it overseas because of the terms and conditions locally.
After being married for two years, a doctor named Sarah* and sales manager Ashley*, married and both in their thirties, decided to have children and opted for Intrauterine Insemination (IUI).
It is a form of artificial insemination, in which treated sperm is injected directly into the uterus. It is a common kind of artificial insemination because of the simplicity in procedure and non-invasiveness.
However, while the procedure is available in Malta through its national health services, those who seek it still face difficult decisions.
Following the revision of the assisted reproduction laws in 2018, health authorities set up third party agreements with sperm banks abroad.
One can opt for direct donations if you find a personal donor in Malta or make use of sperm procured by health authorities from overseas.
But the government’s contract with third-party donors from abroad means that couples have limited say on which gametes will be used in their attempt to get pregnant.
This is because minimum details about the sperm donors are disclosed to the patients at Mater Dei such as weight, height, occupation, religion, eye colour and ethnicity group.
The children are permitted to access information on their biological fathers, but once they turn 18.
So whilst the treatment is free locally, couples may look overseas in search of sperm banks if they wish to know who the donors are, with some clinics providing whole profiles for each donors to allow parents-to-be to make a clear decision. According to Sarah*, one clinic she is in contact with even provides a computer-generated image of what the child could look like.
To add to this, even if you do know a person willing to donate their sperm in Malta, it can only be used three times. As the procedure has a lower rate of success than IVF, practitioners tend to recommend IVF, a more invasive treatment, straight off the bat.
“It was never my plan to get pregnant this way before meeting my partner,” Sarah told Lovin Malta. “However, I always wished to have my own children, and even look to adopt in the future.”
Their gynaecologist in Malta recommended they seek fertility treatment in a London clinic. But even seeking information on IUI is a considerable feat, despite it being legal in Malta after the revised assisted reproduction law in 2018.
Moreover, getting the procedure done abroad is considerably expensive.
“I got pregnant last November in my first trial of IUI, but miscarried in February. I have already spent over €10,000 in total,” Sarah said.
This includes travel costs, work leave, hospital fees and other related expenses. To add to this, patients are only notified two days before they would need to be in London for treatment.
“I feel let down by Malta’s system in that even a simple procedure such as an IUI, that only takes five minutes to perform, is still not worth it despite it being legal and free.”
“It’s already difficult enough to get pregnant and carry the pregnancy to term without all this added stress of having to catch flights and worry about the money and book leave off work, not to mention the emotional implications,” she continued.
Once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the women continued to face issues to their pregnancy, but are determined to resume treatment when the situation settles.
“Now, flights have resumed, but with finances, the need to book leave and the persistent risk of COVID-19 in the UK, we’re keeping everything on hold for now.”
*Names have been changed
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